Saltburn Food Festival planned.

Saltburn is set to hold its first ever food festival this summer.

Lorna Jackson, organiser of Saltburn's Farmers Market, has announced a new food festival is being planned to take place in August following the success of the town’s farmers’ market which has almost trebled its number of visitors in two years.




The monthly market’s latest independent annual survey showed that 9,672 people visited in October last year.

That represents a 112 per cent increase on the 4,566 visitors at its previous survey in May 2011, and a 174 per cent jump from 3,530 visitors in May 2010.

The figures have persuaded the market organisers to hold a food festival in the summer.

Lorna said: “We’re especially delighted to find that a huge 67 per cent of shoppers thought that a wide range of fresh local produce difficult to find elsewhere was the main attraction of the market. It’s a far cry from our first market in an Easter blizzard back in 2008."

"We’ve decided to hold a dedicated food festival in August this year, and we’re now in the very early stages of planning and talking with various people who may be involved. It’s another exciting first for us.”

The first Saltburn farmers’ market of the year returns on Saturday, March 9th.

Meg

Sam and Meg from Ian Forsyth - Documentary Photog on Vimeo

Meg is now 2 years old. When my girlfriend Alice and I got Meg as a 10 week old ball of fluff who knew what was to follow! While giving Meg basic puppy training at home I found she would do pretty much anything for her ball, so I gradually made the tricks harder and she was and still is keen to learn more and more!

As a Saltburn surfer I spend most of my time down at the beach and naturally Meg is with me. The trick training soon started attracting the attention of passing locals and tourists who would gather to watch Meg in action!

At the start Meg used to watch us surf from my van, or at the surf shop with her Labrador friend ‘Barley’ owned by Gary Rogers of Saltburn Surf Shop.

Gradually we noticed her desire to be in the sea with us so I started playing on the shallows with her and a board. She loved it so we went further until we were surfing properly. I never take her into big surf or make her do anything she doesn’t want to do, but she loves to learn, loves to play and loves the attention she gets from onlookers from the pier and beach. She now has her own surfboard and life jacket, and of course we always take a ball with us to play fetch in the sea!

Meg’s tricks and surfing has attracted the attention of various media, which we are thrilled by. Meg loves to pose and have her photo taken, and loves playing with anyone who will throw the ball for her! I don’t plan to enter Meg into contests as we do it just for fun, but of course the media attention is much welcome.

I am currently trying to get her in various newspapers and magazines, and trying to get her food or equipment sponsorship so if anyone could help with that please let us know!

If you see us down at the surf shop, please feel free to come and say hi, take a photo and give my ball throwing arm a rest!
Sam Davis

Saltburn gets the Blues - Let the Good Times Roll for 2013

Saltburn's one-year-old rhythm and blues club has ambitious plans for 2013.
Gig promoter Harry Simpson says that despite its name the club is a perfect place to escape from ‘the blues.’

“Some people feel blues music is miserable. But it’s not, it’s often very upbeat,” said Harry who started the not- for-profit club because he saw a gap in the local market. “In fact the most famous blues song of all is called Let The Good Times Roll!”

Harry has lined up a list of national and international names in the blues scene to play in 2013 upstairs at the Spa Hotel.

American singer Kirsten Thien, who appeared at the club in October, started the big-name push.

2013 bands include top blues names The Emma Wilson Band, Ramon Goose, Jo Harman Band, Kyla Brox and Hokie Joint.

“I hope to attract not just people from Saltburn but from all over the region and beyond,” said Harry, a former police inspector who is now a personal trainer based in Saltburn.

“We have recently created a website www.saltburnbluesclub.co.uk where there is a page dedicated to Saltburn and its attractions to encourage people to come to the club and make a weekend of it.”

Many local businesses sponsor the website and the raffle. More are invited to sponsor activities. The Spa is regularly described as one of the best venues in the area by artists performing there with a lively atmosphere and appreciative audience.

The nearby pier features in the blues club’s material. The hotel offers discounted room rates for visitors attending gigs.

Tickets are available from Whistlestop Wines, Saltburn, and www.wegottickets.com.

History note: The blues or “rhythm and blues,” originated in America’s Deep South about 100 years ago. And a lot of rock music comes from the blues - the music of the Beatles, the Animals, the Rolling Stones and Teesside’s Chris Rea were inspired by R and B music, says Harry.

Saltburn Mortuary RIP

The Friends of Saltburn Mortuary have failed in their bid to acquire the mortuary under a Community Asset Transfer.

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have informed us of their decision but will not clarify if the building has been sold or leased. I think it is a great pity that the Council have ignored the voices of so many people and turned their back on the history and heritage of old Saltburn.

The Friends have fought, for five years, to acquire the property so it comes as a bitter disappointment to us. The reasons the Council gave for our failure were:
Concern over the limited opening hours of the building – we had clearly indicated that the building would be open at any time, generating monies via private exhibition rentals etc. These monies would have been used to help maintain the building.

Concern over the lack of funding both in capital and revenue items to sustain the facilities going forward – we had indicated that we had sufficient funding in place. One benefactor had promised to totally refurbish the inside of the building, bringing it back to how it would have been when first built. The Council’s woefully inept way of handling things had meant that we had already lost a £30,000 grant but we were confident that we still had sufficient funding in place.

As Chairman, I will be suggesting the disbandment of the Friends of Saltburn Mortuary at the next Saltburn 500 Club Committee meeting. So there we have it – Saltburn Mortuary, RIP.

I would like to thank you all for your support over the years and wish you all a Happy New Year.

Trevor Welburn
Chairman, Friends of Saltburn Mortuary